Port St. Lucie heart attack survivor thanks hospital every holiday

Tammy Mathison, a registered nurse at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center and Heart Institute, gets an emotional hug from John Schumacher of Port St. Lucie during a surprise visit by him on Tuesday at the Fort Pierce hospital. Schumacher, 54, had a massive heart attach on July 28, 2010, and wanted to come back to the hospital and thank the nurses and doctors for their care.

TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS

PORT ST. LUCIE — John Schumacher should have been in the paper two years ago — on the obituary page.

Now, he visits the Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute staff he credits with saving his life every Thanksgiving Day and July 28 — the day of his near-death experience.

"I go back to show them what all their hard work and dedication has done," the 54-year-old Port St. Lucie pool supply warehouse manager said. "I want to let people know that against all odds, there is hope."

He beat the odds, in part, thanks to the hospital's proximity to the ball field where he was coaching an American Legion team and the fact that two people there had the skill to start CPR seconds after his heart stopped.

He arrived by ambulance within minutes, but the heart damage was so severe doctors thought it was too late.

"The doctor took me aside and said, 'He's not going to make it through the night,'" said his wife of 33 years, Margaret.

Doctors then prepared her for the likelihood of brain damage. Their prediction seemed true when he was taken off the respirator a week later.

"He would get mad," Margaret recalled. "He would bite. He would punch. He'd pull out needles."

His uncharacteristic aggression turned out to be a temporary side effect of medication. In less than three weeks, he was well enough to leave the hospital.

He still couldn't read, add or remember the president's name. Doctors warned Margaret she'd never be able to leave him home alone.

Not believing them, she worked to improve his mind every chance she had. They played Scrabble. They played gin rummy. Margaret played his favorite CDs and had him sing the words.

"You don't give up," she said. "You just keep on going."

Six weeks after his heart attack, Schumacher could read, write, drive and go back to work.

"I thought that was amazing," said nurse Dawn Van Duzer. "It really touches me when people do that."

Van Duzer, who in the early days would comfort Margaret and send her home for some badly needed sleep, grew close to both Schumachers.

"He is her world; I can tell," Van Duzer said. "She has to give herself a lot of credit for his recovery."